SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 31: As pre-announced, the state government doctors and medical officers have boycotted biometric attendance across the state today in protest against holding up December salary and deduction of amount on basis of biometric attendance.
Government doctors arrived at their respective offices, hospital and health centres across the state on time but did not make biometric attendance. They signed on to the attendance register and start working.
Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA), the frontal organisation of state government doctors, had on Friday evening called a boycott of biometric attendance from Saturday as the health department has held up the December salary of some medical officers and cut payment of some doctors whose biometric attendance was not completed.
However, the director-in-chief of the health of the state Dr Krishan Kumar said that in the health directorate (Ranchi) deputy directors of health made biometric attendance.
However, medical officers across the state especially in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad boycotted it.
Meanwhile, Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Jharkhand State Public Health Employees Association (JSPHEA) have jumped in support of doctors and asked the government to withdraw the biometric attendance till the system completely became snag free across the state.
IMA state secretary Dr Pradip Kumar Singh said that IMA supports the demands of government doctors and will stand with them till last.
“It is an injustice to hold salary payment or deduct the amount from payment on basis of biometric attendance that is not functioning properly at most of the centre,” said the IMA secretary.
Jharkhand State Public Health Employees Association (JSPHEA) state general secretary Sanjut Sahay said that health employees have been protesting biometric attendance for a long time as the system is not working properly.
“80% of health employees do not make biometric attendance as it is not available at all centres across the state. Wherever the system is available it remains defunct. Moreover, during Covid, the health department banned it. Since the Covid danger is again hovering, biometric attendance must be stopped. We opposed the health department and support JHSA,” said Sanjut Sahay.
